As Luck Would Have It // luke castellan

Luck Only Goes So Far

The sky is a cacophony of brilliant orange and yellow, rays of sunlight warming the camp below as Apollo pulls his chariot across the morning sky. Light falls gently onto the beach with the promise of the long day ahead.

Quinn's feet press into the cold sand, the chill of the morning dew curling around her ankles as she surveys the boy in front of her. An orange shirt clings to every curve of his body, exposing the muscles beneath and revealing everything, much to her chagrin. Light reflects off the water to their right and falls over his cheekbones and brightens his flawless face, despite the chilly look he holds.

She circles him carefully, observing the way he holds his sword and shifts his weight slightly from his back foot to his front. Unbeknownst to the untrained eye, the boy is about to lunge at her.

She scans him quickly, drinking in the way he looks at her. She feels absolutely naked in his gaze, almost as if he can see through her and sense her thoughts, following her observations. Butterflies swarm in her stomach and despite her best wishes. She has done this every weekend for three years with him, but it seems she will never become accustomed to the feeling of holding his full attention.

Suddenly, he charges forward at her, his celestial bronze sword gleaming in the sun. Apollo must hate her, because the sun reflecting off the sword temporarily blinds her.

She attempts to hold her ground, planting her feet firmly and gripping her sword tightly. His blade clashes against hers with a clatter. He is much stronger than she is, pressing his full weight into the blade as she holds him off with all her might, defending herself. She is usually on the defensive when she fights him, doing her best to simply hold him off as he turns into a whirlwind of activity and strength, pressing her backwards until she loses the strength to defend herself.

Today though, Quinn feels more confident than usual. The sun warms her to her bones, rejuvenating her in the chilly early morning air, despite the fact she is clad only in pajama pants and a tank top. She feels her mother's blessing cascading over her as she feels a warmth grow in her chest, expanding outward over her body. Luck and fortune fill her, as strength rushes through her and her eye becomes hyper aware of every twitch in his body. She pushes back on his sword, sending him back a step, a wicked gleam in his eye as he smiles cruelly at her pathetic attempt to disarm him. Before he has time to swing at her again, she jumps forward, sword in both hands. She feigns left, but he sees it coming as her sword comes down against his once again.

She grunts as they do this dance for a few minutes, her lunging at him and him anticipating every move and defending himself with ease. The sand shifts below them, leaving footprints in the sand as they battle. Quinn feels her luck running out as quickly as it came, the strength and golden glow leaving her body. With any other camper, she would have had them flat on their back as she held their own sword to their neck, but this was different.

This was Luke Castellan, the best swordsman in 300 years, and the luck bestowed onto her by her mother was no match for pure, untapped skill.

As if sensing that her luck is running out, Luke once again lunges at her. This time though, she is not quick enough. She attempts to sidestep him, whirling around and turning her feet, but his left foot catches hers as he slams the flat of his sword squarely across her stomach, his other arm pushing her shoulder back. She falls down, letting go of her sword in an attempt to catch herself in the sand. It thuds beside her as she sinks into the sand, a grimace on her face as pain shoots from her ass up her back. Luke looks down at her, pointing his sword at her chest with a triumphant grin. Quinn frowns up at him, a malicious gleam in her eye that he catches too late as she extends her legs and twists, sending him stumbling over her feet sideways into the sand. He barely catches himself, their legs still intertwined as Quinn lets out a peal of laughter.